Jaiden Chapter 104
Gregory A. Patrick
03/03/2021
Jaiden Chapter 104
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Greg Patrick
"Peyton, remember when we were talking the middle of last week about children who have behavior problems and issues with dyslexia, and mental health?" "I do, sweetheart, why?" "I stopped by Joe Anderson's office at the hospital and there was a Psychology Journal on the table, so I picked it up to look at it and there was an article addressing the problems we talked about."
"The Psychologist who wrote the paper that was presented, talked about behavioral issues being historical and learned in abusive homes, or homes where parents are disinterested in participating in their child's life. The way he discussed the learned behavioral process, the historical process, and the chemical processes that occur in the brain was fascinating. The fact that psychological therapy was more effective than pharmacological intervention overall intrigued me. I looked at pharmacology, and while it is cheaper in some respects, it isn't always necessary. Then I thought about Tony being in the hospital, and you and me having to detox him; pharmacological intervention is far more expensive than psychological therapy. There are those patients who need both, but a full psychological evaluation should occur first."
"Jaiden, are you saying my idea to use the counseling center before we intervene in a child's behavioral problems is a good idea?" "Very much so. Tony has two felony drug arrests for methamphetamine possession, numerous arrests for possession and distribution of marijuana, and he has served several prison terms totaling six years. With the current cost of imprisonment in a state institution hitting $40,000 yearly and up, cognitive structured counseling has shown itself too not only be cheaper, but much more successful."
"Cognitive restructuring with short-term psychotropic medications has been extremely successful. Babe, you hit the nail on the head with the idea you proposed, and I think we should run with it. I have no doubt there will be times when children suffering and recovering from cancer can, and will, benefit immensely from cognitive counseling. When we get back from Tennessee, that should be one of the first things on our schedule to set up."
"Dr. Jaiden, the ER just called. They have a ten-year-old male on the way in by ambulance with multiple lacerations suffered in a car accident." "Ashley, tell them I am on my way."
As Jaiden got to the ER, the ambulance rolled in and began taking the child from the ambulance. Jaiden walked to the child to start assessing his injuries to get an idea of what he was going to need to do. As he approached the child, he noticed the boy was David Kravitz, Rabbi Rob's son. As they were wheeling David into an emergency treatment room, the Rabbi came running up. "Rabbi, please have a seat in the waiting room and as soon as I know something, I will let you know." "OK, Jaiden, an ambulance is on the way in with Nancy and Ally. The other boys were at Pete Gray's house with Jason." "Rabbi, please call the office and tell Peyton I need him in the ER as soon as he can get here." The Rabbi pulled out his phone and called Jaiden's office and told Ashley Jaiden needed Peyton as soon as he could get there. Peyton walked by the front office as Ashley was talking to the Rabbi, so she stopped him and conveyed the message. "Rabbi, he is on his way." "Thank you, Ashley." You're welcome, Rabbi."
"Jaiden, what do we have?" "I have x-ray in the room with David Kravitz, and an ambulance is on the way in with Nancy and Ally. That should be the ambulance now." Peyton went outside to meet the ambulance, and it was indeed Nancy and Ally. He took Ally to surgery room 2 and began assessing her injuries. Dr. Brannon ran into the ER to deal with Nancy. As soon as Peyton had assessed Ally's condition, he asked the Rabbi to come into the exam room to help calm his daughter. As he got into the room, a nurse entered with two vials of buffered lidocaine. Peyton put a drape in front of Ally's face so she couldn't see what he was doing. He squirted some of the lidocaine into a deep gash on her arm, injected the anesthetic into the wound, and then began suturing it. In a matter of minutes, he had closed that cut, and moved on to a long gash on Ally's stomach. He deadened the wound with the lidocaine, and, in short order, had the gash sutured in a way that would leave little to no scar. He gave the Rabbi a prescription for an antibiotic, and gave Ally a shot of the medicine. He and Jaiden are pros at giving children injections; neither David nor Ally felt the shot they received.
As Peyton finished Ally's case, Pete Gray came running into the ER. Allison had called him to let him know about the accident. He had been by the scene and photographed everything, and would get a police report as soon as it is ready. Just after he came into the ER, Jaiden finished closing all of David's wounds and walked him into the waiting room to be with his Dad. "Rabbi, David had some extensive cuts and abrasions from the wreck. I think I got all the glass out of his forehead and his arm, and got everything closed and covered. I gave him a shot of an antibiotic and here is the prescription he will need to take for a week. Dr. Brannon is with Nancy; I'm going to check on her and come right back."
"Rabbi, Allison had a compound fracture in her right arm. She apparently threw her arm across David to keep him from getting hurt worse than he already was. Dr. Brannen repaired her leg and set her arm; he'll be out shortly to speak with you." "Thanks, Jaiden, I appreciate everything you have done." "Rabbi, you need to stay with Nancy tonight, so Peyton and I will take the children home with us, and they can stay as long as they need to." "You have five boys, Jaiden, and enough to do; you don't need to add to your busy schedule." "I am not adding to my schedule, Rabbi, I am adjusting it, and I can do that well. We'll watch the children tonight, and if they have problems from the wreck, we'll take care of them. So, don't worry about the children."
"When we get home, we'll call Allison and pick up Aaron and Levi. I've already talked with Ginny and Granny and they said they'd be happy to watch the children tomorrow; they'll be fed well, and I will take the boys to school and let Dr. Sims know David can't participate in physed for a month or so, that I'll send a note with him when he can resume physical activities." "Jaiden, are you sure this isn't an imposition on you and Peyton?" Peyton walked into the room as the Rabbi said that and replied, "Rabbi, Jaiden said it isn't an imposition, and it isn't. We want to help however we are able. You and the temple members have been more than good to us, so, please, let us give back a little bit." "OK, Peyton, it you and Jaiden are sure." Jaiden told the Rabbi he and Peyton were more than sure."
On the way home, Peyton and Jaiden stopped by the Gray's home and picked up Aaron and Levi. While he was there, he offered to treat the Gray family to dinner at Tony's, and Allison said she would love to, that she was exhausted after all that had happened during the day – that and the fact that the triplets had been up all day and demanded her time.
When they got home, they played with their boys as they do every day. When they had spent their usual time with their sons, they got all the children ready for dinner, got them in the van, and headed to Tony's. Charley and Dale followed in the Subaru that Dale loves so much. Two years has passed since Jaiden's mom gave Dale and Charley the car, and Dale still says, "I look good driving that car."
When they got to Tony's, Phil set up an extra-large table at which everybody would eat. When the boys were securely in their highchairs, Nathan Robert looked at his dad and said, "skety, Da." Jaiden looked at his son and said, "Yes, Nathan Robert, you can have skety."
Phil brought out spaghetti for the younger children, and he let David, Aaron, and Levi get beef ravioli, their favorite Italian food. When the children finished their meal, Phil brought vanilla ice cream to each child. They ate their ice cream and thanked Phil for giving it to them. David, Aaron, and Levi shook Phil's hand like young gentlemen should, and it blew Phil's mind. He'd never had young boys be so polite and appreciative to him.
Since the Kravitz children didn't have any clothes with them, and since their Dad was staying at the hospital with their mon, Jaiden took them to the mall and bought each of them two outfits that they got to choose. The boys got two sports shirts, real Levi jeans, the best underclothes in the store, and a pair of Sketcher shoes they chose. Peyton picked out some clothes for Ally that were cute for her. They also got Ally a small pair of girl's Sketchers. Jaiden washed the clothes when he and Peyton got home with the children and had the clothes ready for the boys to wear to school the next day.
When all three boys got up, dressed, and went to the kitchen for breakfast, they looked sharp, and they knew it. They thanked Jaiden and Peyton again for the clothes, especially the shoes they were wearing proudly. Jaiden told them they were welcome, and to have a seat at the table and eat breakfast so they could get to school. Jaiden took the boys to school in the new Lincoln he had recently purchased, and they thought they were something. When they got to school, Jaiden took David to see Dr. Sims to tell him what had happened the previous afternoon. He assured Jaiden that David would be kept as inactive at recess and in PE as possible. Dr. Sims also offered to take the boys to Jaiden's and Peyton's home after school so the guys could put their attention on their patients. Jaiden thanked Dr. Sims and headed to his office to see 25 patients scheduled that day.
On the way to his office, Jaiden called Ginny and Granny to let them know Dr. Sims would be bringing the boys to the house after school. Ginny let Jaiden know Ally was still sleeping soundly even though all ten babies were going full-force in the den. When he got to the office, Peyton told him he'd gotten the boys pottied and dressed, and fed them breakfast with Dale's and Charley's help. When Jaiden walked in the private entrance, Ashley opened the office and began signing-in the patients waiting to see the young doctors.
When noon arrived, the office was empty and Ashley closed it so they all could go to lunch. Jaiden and Peyton walked to Nancy's room and got the Rabbi and took him to eat. While they were getting their meal, the Rabbi told Jaiden and Peyton that Nancy had a hard night, but the nurses had been good to give her medication for pain. He asked how his children had done during the night, and Peyton told him they didn't have any problems, and were excited to get to school that morning. The Rabbi said, "Now I know something is wrong, those boys are never excited about going to school." Jaiden told him they were that morning, he just left out the part about the new clothes and shoes.
When the three had eaten their lunch, they went to Nancy's room to see how she was doing, and to offer whatever help they could. Nancy was having discomfort the way she was lying in bed, so Jaiden got Dr. Brannen's permission to call physical therapy and get someone to come up and help Nancy learn how to adjust herself in bed with as little pain as possible. When that was accomplished, Nancy was in much better spirits. She asked about the children and was told they were doing fine, that they had been excited about going to school that morning. When she heard that, she looked at Rob and said, "Something's wrong, hon, those boys are never excited about going to school." The Rabbi said he told Jaiden that, but that he was adamant the boys were eager to get to school.
Jaiden told the Rebbetzin that Peyton and he would care for the children until she was able to get around without any difficulty. Ginny and Granny would be preparing meals for the two families in the evenings, and would feed Ally at breakfast and lunch. Nancy was appreciative of the assistance, and gave Peyton and Jaiden a hug before they went back to lunch. When they had left, she told Rob to go home and get some sleep since he had been up all night; that is what he did.
When he got back to the hospital, he told Nancy he would get the boys that evening after dinner and let them sleep at home in their beds, and get them fed and to school the next morning. When he left the hospital to eat dinner with his children, and with Peyton and Jaiden, he didn't expect to find David, Aaron, or Levi in the good moods they were displaying; nor did he expect to see them wearing new clothes and shoes. When he saw them, he said, "Ah, now I know why you boys were eager to get to school this morning." Peyton and Jaiden smiled and didn't say a word.
The Rabbi told the boys that he would be home later that evening so they could sleep in their own beds. He was a bit taken aback when all three boys said they were doing well at Jaiden's. They loved the comfortable beds, the bathrooms attached to their room, and they liked that they could all sleep in one big bed. The Rabbi looked at Peyton and asked if that was OK with him and Jaiden, and he was told they were happy to take care of the boys after all the Rabbi, Nancy, and his brother had done to help them. The Rabbi went to his house and got some clothes for the children and took them to the Riley-Reynolds home. Since the boys were happy with the arrangements that had been made, the Rabbi told Jaiden and Peyton he would stay that night with Nancy. Peyton called the hospital and had them put a roll-away bed in Nancy's room so the Rabbi would be more comfortable.
When he got back to the hospital, he told Nancy that the boys wanted to stay with Peyton and Jaiden, and that they were happy with that idea. Nancy looked at her husband and said, "Those two young men have spoiled our boys, haven't they?" "Sweetheart, I am afraid so, but Peyton and Jaiden are fairly strict about school work, and little to no television. They must do their homework when they get home from school, and Ginny and Granny see to that. Ginny also gives them a snack when they get home. They were definitely happy when I saw them at dinner. After they had eaten, they went to the den to play with the babies who were laughing their heads off."
"I'm glad to hear that, Rob, it makes me feel better about everything. Dr. Brannen said if I do well tonight, that I should be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. He wants to do x-rays in the morning to make sure everything is starting to heal properly." "Good, sweetheart. I'll get everything ready for you so you can rest comfortably when you do get home. The boys can help you when they get home from school, and Granny said she and Ginny would feed them at breakfast and dinner, and that they would prepare a plate of food for you and me to eat together at home." "Those are two wonderful women, Rob. We need to do something for them before they head to Tennessee with Peyton and Jaiden." "I agree, Nancy, we'll have to figure out something we can do for them that they will enjoy."
Peyton and Jaiden finished seeing all their patients for the day and had their notes done, so they went by Nancy's room before heading home. They were satisfied with her progress and were excited that she would probably go home the next day. They and the Rabbi headed home for dinner. When they got to the house, the Kravitz boys were chomping at the bits to tell their dad about their day at school. He was surprised at their enthusiasm and wondered what prompted it. Peyton told the Rabbi that Dr. Sims most likely had told their teachers what happened, and an extra effort was made to help them get involved with and enjoy what they were learning. That struck a chord with the Rabbi, and he understood his boy's excitement.
That night, Jaiden got the boys interested in doing science research on the dinosaurs they were studying. He would act excited when he would show the boys something they didn't know, and that got them even more interested in what they were doing. They didn't realize they hadn't watched television for the past two days, and they didn't miss it; they were having the time of their lives even though it was a bad time for them as they stayed concerned about their mother.
"Hi, guys, I hope you had a good day." "We did, Mr. Jaiden. Dad said Mom would be coming home late this afternoon, and that we could stay at home with her at night. He said Ginny and Granny would fix dinner for us and we could eat over here with you guys. She'll let Dad come over and get a plate for Mom and him." "That's good, David. Slip your shirt off and lay down on the couch on your back so I can check your stitches and make sure there is no sign of infection. The cuts look good and clean. Have you been keeping them dry when you bathe off?" "Yes, sir, I have. I make sure the washcloth isn't very wet, and I wipe around the stitches. I rubbed a little hard last night and it hurt a little, so I was more careful today." :You did exactly what you should have done, David; you're a good young man. I am proud of you and the way you are handling what happened to your mom, Ally, and you."
"Mr. Jaiden, I am a young boy. Why did you call me a young man?" "I called you a young man because you act like a young man instead of a boy; you show responsibility in everything you do, you are respectful to adults, and you know what you are supposed to do when you get home from school, and you do it. That is the sign of a young man, David, not a boy." "Thank you for saying that, Mr. Jaiden, it will make Mom and Dad happy." "I'm sure it will, David, so I will tell your dad too."
Ginny looked at Jaiden and said, "Jaiden, that young man is just like Jeremy; he is a joy to have around. He tries to help when he thinks the baby's, his sister, or his brothers need help with something. His Mom is raising that boy the right way." "I agree, Ginny. He has been like that since I met them in Hawaii. I hope Peyton's and my boys turn out that well." "I'm sure they will, Jaiden. I have watched Peyton and you interact with those boys, and when you correct them, they listen. That is a sign they not only love you and Peyton, they respect you." That got Ginny a hug and kiss on the cheek. Jaiden didn't leave Granny out of the hugs and kisses, she got both as well.
When the babies saw Peyton and Jaiden walk into the den, they latched on to them for their play time. The way the seven of them played and laughed was hysterical. Charley and Dale were home, and as usual, Charley videoed the play time and texted the video to all the grandparents. His phone dinged seven times with the grandparents thanking him for sending the video and telling him how much they enjoyed watching the banter. About an hour after the text was sent, Jaiden's Mom and Peyton's parents called them.
"Jaiden, this is Mom. Charley sent me another text of Peyton and you playing with the boys. It was hilarious and made my day. You are just like your Dad was with you, and you bring so many good memories back for me. I can't tell you how proud of you I am for the way you act like a child with your boys. They enjoy playing with you and Peyton more than I think you sometimes realize." "Mom, Peyton's parents have said the same thing to him. If Peyton and I are half as good as parents as you and the Riley's were, we'll be happy." "Jaiden, you have passed that mark, and Charley sending me the videos and me watching them is the highlight of my day every time I get a video. Brenda and the ladies in the office see the videos as well, and we all sit down, drink a cup of coffee, and laugh together."
"When I went to Temple on Saturday, the Rebbetzin said she'd heard I got a new video and wanted to see it. When I pulled out my phone, all the ladies from Hadassah gathered around to see it too. We laughed until we cried. They all said how proud of you they were as well. When the services were over, Rabbi Eichmann walked up and said, "OK, I want to see it too." I showed the video to him, and he said you were a hoot playing with my grandsons, and that he was incredibly proud of you, that you had grown into a wonderful young man. I thought about that as I headed home to fix lunch for myself, and my eyes got a bit misty."
"Mom, you were and are my example, and you taught me well. I have felt so blessed to have you as my mother. Yes, we missed out on some things, and we had our sadness; you're a magnificent Mom." "Son, thank you for saying that, I have often wondered how I could have been a better parent." "Mom, that would be hard to do; you are a doctor who is incredibly busy; the time we spent together, you made sure it was quality time; you didn't try to fill my mind with things I didn't need to know, and you encouraged me to no end where my education was and is concerned. How could you possibly do better than that as a single Mom?" "That's a question I have asked myself a million times, Jaiden, and I still don't have an answer." "Mom, stop wondering and stop asking that question. If I could go back in time, there is only one thing I would change, and we both know what that is. Otherwise, I would not change one thing about the way you raised me with love, confidence, and stubbornness."
"Son, I hope I was as good a parent as you describe." "Mom, rest assured, you were. You know I am like you when I say if I didn't mean It, I wouldn't say it." "Yes, you are, Jaiden. Maybe that is the one area where I could have done better." "Nah, Mom. You did just fine. You taught me not to take any crap off people, and I don't, so I'd say you did your job well." "Thank you, Son. For what it's worth, I think you are being a much better parent to your boys than I was to you.' "Mom, that's not possible, but thanks for saying that." "You're welcome. I'll let you get back to my grandsons since it is time for their baths." "Peyton already has them in the shower, and from the sound of the laughter, they are having a blast. I don't know who is laughing the hardest, the boys or Peyton." Well, go join in on the fun, I love you to Mars and back." "I love you the same, Mom, have a good night."
Jaiden donned his bathing suit and entered the shower with the boys and Peyton. As soon as Jaiden entered the shower, Nathan Robert, and Chuck grabbed him by the legs. Peyton laughed, and said, "Grab Nathan Robert, he's been as slippery as an eel and has escaped from me every time." "Jaiden grabbed Nathan Robert and began tickling him, getting a lot of laughter from his son. He bathed the boy and put him down to play as his other Dad finished bathing the last of the quintuplets. When the children had their baths, they, and their Dad's went downstairs to the dining room to have dinner. Uncle Dale had cooked a beef roast in the Insta-Pot, creamed some potatoes, and had baby English peas.
After dinner, the dads played with their children until they began showing signs of wanting to go to bed. Dale, Charley, Peyton, and Jaiden put their children to bed and then returned to the den to sit, talk, and wind down from a busy day. Spring weather had finally arrived, so the dads went onto the deck to enjoy the cool night air. Dale made a pot of coffee and warmed some knishes he had in the refrigerator, which the guys enjoyed as they spent some personal, quality time with each other. Time is something that is less available since they are working or trying to complete their college education.
The guys talked for the better part of an hour and a half before they decided to go to bed. When Peyton and Jaiden got to their bedroom, Jaiden opened the windows, sat in his chair, and pulled Peyton onto his lap. He pressed Peyton's head to his chest as he rubbed his hand through his husband's hair, and softly stroked his face. Nothing was said as the two lovers sat loving each other, and enjoying the quiet intimacy; something they hadn't been able to do lately. Jaiden began to speak softly saying, "Peyton, every day that passes, I love you more than I did the day before. You amaze me when you play with our boys, and they laugh hard and long. I love the look on your face when you hold them. I see pure love, and I sense a feeling that is hard for me to describe. When I see all that, when I hold you in my arms, and smell the scent of your hair, and feel the warmth of your body, I melt. I love you so much it sometimes hurts because I can't grab you, hug you, and kiss you when I have a strong desire to do that."
"Jaiden, there is nothing stopping you from kissing me right now." Peyton reached up and pulled Jaiden's head to his as he softly kissed the love of his life. When the kiss ended, Jaiden laid the side of his face on Peyton's head and softly kissed it as he tenderly embraced the love of his life.
Jaiden gently pulled Peyton's shirt over his head, unbuttoned, and removed his khaki shorts along with his briefs. When he had Peyton totally undressed, he removed his clothes, and they climbed into bed and lovingly embraced each other. As Jaiden was gently rubbing Peyton's body, Peyton looked him in the eyes and said, "Sweetheart, everything you said to me, it's the way I feel about you. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, and that love has only grown. Being able to be by your side during college and medical school was the highlight of my life, and I thought nothing could top that; I was wrong. Working with you and seeing how the patients respond to your gentleness, and compassion, gives me a strong sense of pride. You have taught me so much about love and dedication to purpose. Thank you for making me the happiest person in the world." Jaiden leaned over and kissed Peyton as he rolled him over and snuggled up to his back, his arm under Peyton's neck as the two lovers held hands and fell asleep.
The next morning as they got their boys out of their beds, they hugged, kissed, and told each of their sons how much they loved them. When the daily routine was completed, and the boys had been fed their breakfast, Jaiden and Peyton had an hour before they had to go to their office, so they spent that time holding their sons as the boys fell back asleep. When the time came for the two to head to their office, Jaiden said, "I wish I could sit here and hold the boys all day." Peyton saw the look on Jaiden's face and simply replied, "Me too, sweetheart, me too."
After a long day at work, Jaiden called Phil and ordered a large family pan of spaghetti. When he walked in the kitchen door, the boys ran to hold and love on their Dad. Jaiden sat the pan of food on the stove and sat on the floor and played with his children. After they played for a while, Jaiden asked them, "do you guys want some skety." When he asked that question, the boys ran to their highchairs, eager to get their favorite meal. Dale and Charley brought their children to the dining room, and when all the children got their plates of food, Peyton said, "if the lights go out, don't reach for anything lest you get a fork in your hand." The other dads laughed and agreed with the comment.
After dinner, the dads had to bathe their children to get all the skety off them and get them dressed for bed. The children played together in the den until they got sleepy and started crawling up the stairs to go to their bedrooms. That was something new, so the dads watched them until they got up the stairs and went to their rooms. When they got to the children's rooms, each child was standing and holding on to their correct bed. After Jaiden and Peyton kissed, hugged, and put their children to bed, Jaiden called the Rabbi to make sure Nancy was doing as well as possible.
The Rabbi told Jaiden that Nancy had a rough night before last, but that she was resting comfortably as Jaiden called. He thanked Jaiden for feeding his boys and Ally and for bringing spaghetti to the house for Nancy and him. He said that was a special treat for them, and that Nancy was very appreciative. Jaiden told the Rabbi he was glad they enjoyed their dinner, and that the children had been their normal polite selves at the house. He also told the Rabbi that Ginny and Granny had mentioned how respectful the children were to them, and how much they enjoyed having them around. Rabbi Rob said he was proud of his children for being so good and respectful, and for not getting agitated as they sometimes do at home.
Jaiden told the Rabbi he checked David's stitches, and everything looked good. The stitches would remain for another week; Jaiden would take them out at the Kravitz's home the following Friday so they wouldn't have to come into the office. Nancy was supposed to see Dr. Brannen that day to get her staples removed from her leg and arm, so she was probably going to be overly tired that night. Jaiden offered to let the Kravitz boys stay with Peyton and him that Friday night so the Rabbi's house would be quiet, and allow Nancy to rest more comfortably. The Rabbi said he thought that was a good idea and he would send the children over that night.
The next morning, the dads got the children fed, cleaned, dressed, and in the van to go to the Temple for Saturday Shacharit Shabbat services. Mrs. Schwartz was excited as the children walked into the nursery, and told Peyton and Jaiden that having the children with her on Saturday mornings was the highlight of her week; she was always anxious to see what the children would get into and how they would react. Peyton said, "Mrs. Schwartz, we will say a quick prayer before services begin and ask Hashem to give you a much-deserved zechus over the boys. Mrs. Schwartz smiled and gave Peyton a kiss on the cheek.
As they were going up the steps to enter the temple sanctuary, Jaiden looked at Peyton and said, "boy you sure scored points with what you said to Mrs. Schwartz." Peyton replied, "Jaiden, I wasn't trying to score points, I was aiming to say a prayer that would get her through the day with the boys; she's old, and they aren't." Jaiden threw his head back and laughed at Peyton's comment.
When services were over, they took Dale, Charley, their children, and the Kravitz clan to the Wharf Seafood House for lunch. Peyton asked the Rabbi what Nancy and he liked and said they would bring them a nice lunch from the restaurant. After they ate, they loaded the van and headed home to deliver lunch to Nancy and her husband. When the food was delivered, they took all the children to the ice cream shop and got them their favorite ice cream cones. The babies got their ice cream in a cup. The dads gave them the ice cream with a spoon and let them feed themselves. Miraculously, they didn't spill a drop on their prams - or themselves.
When they got home, and before the Kravitz children headed home, Jaiden talked to them about being calm and quieter than normal so their mom could rest more comfortably. When the boys told Jaiden they would act like he and Peyton did in their home, a sense of pride touched Peyton's and his heart. They were doing what they had said to each other that they wanted to do, and that was to lead by example and not by word. Sunday, they would load all the children in the van, take them to the beach on Lake Erie, and let them play to their heart's content. They got in the edge of the water with their children, and they, Dale, and Charley, had the times of their lives. They laughed for several hours at the antics of their children interacting with them, and with the Kravitz children.
Peyton said to Jaiden, Charley, and Dale, that it was amazing to watch the children and realize how greatly their home life influenced their behavior. Dale said, "Peyton, you recognize that because you received it as you grew up. It's the same for Jaiden, but for Charley and me, we learned that from you and Jaiden, and from seeing how your parents treat you, and how they have treated us. They didn't have to include us in the honeymoon trip, but they did it out of love. They didn't have to confront Charley's and my dad, but they did it out of concern and love. Every time we have been around your parents, they have taught us about love, and Charley and I hope we are teaching our children what we have learned over the past six years." "Dale, our parents have commented on how great they think you and Charley are with your children, and Jaiden, and I, couldn't agree more with them."
Dale, smiled, looked over the expanse of the lake and said, "Peyton, thanks for saying that, it means the world to me. And thank you for being a brother to me and Charley; you have made our lives richer than ever with your love and compassion. I don't know that Charley and I will ever be able to repay you and Jaiden for all you have done and sacrificed for us." Jaiden spoke up and said, "Dale, you have already repaid us by becoming the person you now are, and the same goes for Charley. You are excellent dads who love and protect your children without stopping them from making simple mistakes from which they can learn. You have shown the same love to Peyton and me that we have tried to show you and Charley, and the very idea that someday we may have to live apart is so gut-wrenching to me that I can't describe the worry. You have re-paid us more than anything you think you owe us, which is nothing. We are family and it is going to stay that way as far as I am concerned."
Jaiden was sitting on the beach playing with the children when he exclaimed, "OH NO!" Charley said, "Oh no what, Jaiden." "Charley, we forgot that Jenny, Jennifer, Marty, Angie and their clans will be here next Sunday. We need to get ready for that, and we need to pick up Richard and Sally tonight at seven at the airport." "Ooo, I forgot about that too," Peyton said to Jaiden. They got the children home, bathed, and dressed for dinner. They would feed the children at 5:30 and then have dinner with Richard and Sally after they picked them up at the airport.
Peyton and Jaiden drove to the airport at six, and were waiting at the baggage claim turnstiles when they saw Richard and Sally coming down the escalator with big smiles on their faces. They hugged each other before retrieving Richard's and Sally's luggage. When they got the luggage in the car, they asked Richard and Sally if they'd like to go to Café 808 in town for a quiet, intimate dinner. Sally said she would love that, and that they were starving, so Jaiden drove them to the restaurant.
As they were waiting on their food to arrive, Richard and Sally told Peyton and Jaiden how amazing their Paris honeymoon was, and what all they did while they were in France. They had visited the wine regions, tasted the best of wines, and traveled the French countryside. They tasted amazing French foods, and were treated like royalty when the waiters and restaurant owners found out they were on their honeymoon. When all the pleasantries were said, Peyton told his brother and sister-in-law about Nancy Kravitz's accident, and warned them about Friday week when Jenny, Jennifer, Marty and Angie and their clans would descend on Erie. It was going to be an exciting and interesting week with the ladies and their families - that the guys knew for sure. Sally would finally get to know her new sister-in-law, and her husband, and her new nephews.